WoW, the MMORPG Killer?
Is World of Warcraft killing the mmorpg industry? Hey!! How can you say that? Isn't
WoW defining the mmorpg industry? Well, Richard Bartle seems to suggest in a recent interview that WoW is preventing other mmorpgs from succeeding. Bartle said,
INTERVIEWER:If you could take over control of one major MMORPG - which would you choose and what would you do with it?
BARTLE: I'd take over World of Warcraft and I'd close it. I just want better virtual worlds. Sacrificing one of the best so its players have to seek out alternatives would be a sure-fire way to ensure that unknown gems got the chance they deserved, and that new games were developed to push back the boundaries.
Er, I would get to do this anonymously, wouldn't I?
I disagree with this conclusion. Instead, similar to The Common Sense Gamer, I think that World of Warcraft's playerbase is not the same playerbase that mmorpgs have typically attracted. WoW's players are not the same players who played Everquest, Dark Ages of Camelot, Asheron's Call and Ultima Online. No these are console players and casual gamers who happened to think that World of Warcraft is a great game.
I think that mmorpg developers need to stop viewing WoW as the competitor to emulate and beat. Instead, they need to develop great mmorpgs. While typical mmorpg players also think that WoW is a great game, they are also hungry for a new mmorpg. Something other than WoW. Many of players had high hopes for Vanguard, and have high hopes for Warhammer Online (looks like a WoW clone), Pirates of the Burning Sea, and Age of Conan. MMORPG developers will do themselves a disservice by creating a WoW clone. We already have WoW: we don't need another.
Instead, design a game with the typical mmorpg players in mind. Because like Darren, I do not think that it is given that the WoW playerbase will move to another mmorpg. They will play WoW and move to another great game.
23 Responses to “WoW, the MMORPG Killer?”
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Peter Says:
July 27th, 2007 at 8:38 amIf Warhammer Online looks like a WoW clone, thats probably due to blizzard taking most of their “inspiration” from Warhammer (the miniature game).
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Fred Says:
July 28th, 2007 at 7:45 amPeter, I have heard that before. Others have said that WoW actually took from Warhammer. I guess timing is everything.
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Zubon Says:
July 28th, 2007 at 11:36 amI think that World of Warcraft’s playerbase is not the same playerbase that mmorpgs have typically attracted.
It pretty much had to, unless most of that playerbase had never played an MMO. WoW has dramatically expanded the market by bringing in people who may move on to the New New Thing, whereas they would not have played an MMO with a monthly fee before WoW. The biggest beneficiary of WoW may be the WoW-killer, whenever it emerges, because WoW did the work of getting its players into the market.And yes, WoW is kinda Warhammer, but without the word “Waaagh.”
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Ohlo Says:
August 2nd, 2007 at 8:40 pmSaying that WAR is a WoW clone is like saying that Lord of the Rings is just a D&D ripoff. Warhammer came first. WoW is simply an MMO of Warcraft, which is directly derived from the Warhammer world. And saying that timing is everything is a weak dismissal, since WoW itself came after Everquest, and clearly borrowed much of its gameplay from there.
Jack Emmert, Chief Creative Officer at Cryptic Studios, once said it best… that Blizzard did nothing original nor innovative in WoW, they simply did what others before them had done and put some really nice polish on it.
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Fred Says:
August 2nd, 2007 at 8:51 pmI agree Ohlo. I certainly is the case that WoW took from Warhammer. However, everyone thinks that it is the other way around.
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MMO Explorer Says:
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30 Day Challenge Action List | Newest on the Net Says:
November 23rd, 2007 at 5:41 pm[...] this site or any of the following pages http://mmoexplorer.com/62/does-your-wife-hate-your-mmorpg/ http://mmoexplorer.com/59/wow-the-mmorpg-killer/ http://mmoexplorer.com/51/the-agency-just-another-mmo/ [...]
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Elite WoW Says:
March 3rd, 2008 at 4:21 pmWoW has a unique atmosphere and this feature sets it apart from other somilar mmorpg games. It is undoubtedly the best online game on game market nowadays.
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MAC Says:
March 6th, 2008 at 1:42 pmWoW is a great mmorpg game, but i like runescape most!!
it enjoyable and fun compare to WoW.
just my 2 cent all
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Idemise 1-70 Alliance Leveling Guide Says:
March 12th, 2008 at 4:43 pmRunescape Is a little bit outdated. However I still play it. But WoW is undoubtedly the MMORPG killer.
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Chauncy Says:
March 23rd, 2008 at 10:11 amPersonally, I do not like WoW at all. It is just to addictive to actually be enjoyable. I know plenty of people who have lost their (social) lives to this game.
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Bimal Says:
April 8th, 2008 at 5:28 amYa I have also heard that WoW actually took from Warhammer. I think timing is everything here.
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Tech Blog Says:
April 26th, 2008 at 5:42 amI remember playing Asheron’s Call to the point of being addicted when I was a student – unfortunately you had to put in lots of time to actually get places in the game – at least with modern MMORPGs like World of Warcraft you are not required to have to commit so much time unless you really want to.
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Mapmod v2 Says:
May 2nd, 2008 at 6:39 pmWoW is undoubtedly MMORPG killer. However it has passed it possitions recently. If they won’t change anything it wouldn’t be the best MMORPG game anymore.
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nisa Says:
June 18th, 2008 at 12:41 amI totally agree that that is a very wrong decision.. shutting down WOW? instead of shutting it down, better work on making better game and better marketing. Some people are getting bored with WOW but didn’t find any other interesting MMORPG… so, hopefully someone can come up with an interesting domain.
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yeni oyunlar Says:
June 30th, 2008 at 6:46 pmwow good game the best mmorpg game ? have played wow with warrior ? have made good relationhip and exciting time
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Crookyn Says:
July 17th, 2008 at 4:59 pmI can see a logic to his thinking, but definetly not a wise move. I myself am an avid WoW fan and I think you would be really unfair to deny a player a game. Players need to find new games on there own… or the games should get better to compete with WoW.
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Cory Says:
July 19th, 2008 at 4:24 pmHeh, apparently people are always going to be ignorant when it comes to mmorpgs. World of Warcraft didn’t “copy” Warhammer, I never saw Warhammer as a real game anyway. And Everquest? Why, oh why would someone want to copy off that 2 cent garbage. I find WoW original and unique, and it’ll always be the best. I don’t think mmos will ever be able to compete, and they need to stop trying. Make a unique game. Today, we see all these new mmorpgs taking elements from WoW, and it gets annoying. People say there should be better games, but how is that possible when everyone copies off of WoW and then turns around and goes all hypocritical on a game that has held the number 1 position for a good long while? WoW is and shall always be the best mmorpg out there, because game developers can’t come up with something better.
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Tech-Styling Says:
July 22nd, 2008 at 9:02 amWhen i first started playing WOW i was undecided if to play it or not but eventually got used to the game play and played it a lot. I do agree though it does need some new ideas adding maybe WOTLK will provide this new edge to world of warcraft.
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Adam Says:
October 30th, 2008 at 1:20 amThe one good thing about WoW is that it has opened gaming up to a much wider population and demograph. The downside is that it’s huge success causes many game developers to take the easy way out and try to cookie-cutter the game into their own little creation to make a quick-buck.
Sure, you’re following a formula that has worked for blizzard, but why would someone pay to play a game that is ‘like’ world of warcraft, when they can just continue to play world of warcraft?
If nothing else, the massive user base is an infinate resource for funny pics to put on my website. lol.
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Bruce Says:
November 1st, 2008 at 4:22 ami must say that it is the wrong decision.wow is one of the best games.lots of people enjoy when they are playing wow.
July 24th, 2007 at 9:29 am
I have to agree—WoW got so many players because it appealed to people who don’t find “traditional” MMORPGs appealing. Therefore, closing it down to force them to go find something else would just send them back to what they were doing before WoW came out.